


Minding the Monsters

by DubiousSparrow



Series: River Town [12]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Married Couple, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish Fluff, Uncles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27616907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DubiousSparrow/pseuds/DubiousSparrow
Summary: Eight-year-old Aurora & six-year-old Hennessy stay with Ronan and Adam for a week while Declan and Jordan are away.
Relationships: Jordan/Declan Lynch, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Series: River Town [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775125
Comments: 40
Kudos: 107





	1. Some of my Best Friends are Slytherin

Ronan rolled his eyes. The four of them were acting like they were saying goodbye forever, rather than spending a week apart.

Jordan was flying to Paris to meet with the curators of the Musée de Cluny to discuss her research on _The Lady and the Unicorn_ tapestries, and Declan was tagging along. Hennessy and Aurora held tight to their parents, teary-eyed, chins trembling. It was the first significant amount of time they would spend apart. Ronan softened at the sight of Hennessy grasping Declan’s thumb tightly in her fist while she stared him down, “You’re coming back in ONE WEEK, right Daddy?”

“Yes, Hen,” Declan kissed her forehead and smoothed his hand over her dark curls, “One week. I promise. Mama just needs to talk to the unicorn people, and then we’ll come home. And while we’re gone you get to stay with Uncle Ronan and Uncle Adam. And they’re going to take such good care of you….” Declan looked over Hennessy’s curly mop of hair to meet Ronan’s eyes. “And they’re going to give you back in the _exact same condition they received you_ ….” he finished menacingly.

Ronan smiled, “Maybe even improved. How do you feel about piercings, Hen?”

Declan’s shoulders stiffened, and Jordan swooped in to avert a scene, “If cartilage is involved I’m gonna need you to text me, babe,” she kissed Ronan’s cheek and tickled Hennessy until she was rolling on the floor. Ronan wrapped an arm around Jordan’s shoulders and squeezed, “Fine, we’ll stick to tattoos.”

Jordan shoved him playfully away, “Fuck you, Lynch.”

She looked down at her wide-eyed daughters, “Mama didn’t say that. Earmuffs, babies.”

The two girls obediently put their hands over their ears.

Jordan grinned up at Ronan, “’Earmuffs,’ dude. Very important parenting skill.”

Ronan cocked an eyebrow at her as he shouldered her bag, “Aren’t you supposed to say that _before_ the swearing…?”

Jordan winked at him as the five of them made their way towards security, “Don’t be _that mom_ , Ronan.”

**

When Ronan had told him that their nieces would be staying with them for an entire week while their parents were in Europe, Adam had carefully arranged his face and nodded agreeably. He loved the girls. And he understood (in a general, theoretical kind of way) that this was what family did – they looked out for each other. When he married Ronan, he was joining Ronan’s family, and he knew that that was a commitment in and of itself. He just wasn’t quite prepared for that commitment to suddenly become so… immediate and in his space. He wanted it to feel natural and easy, opening their home up without a second thought. But a part of him (a small part) felt territorial, possessive even, of his time with Ronan, and of the little sanctuary they’d created. 

_This is mine_.

 _This is ours_. 

The fact that he felt this way in the face of a shy, stuttering eight-year-old and a grinning, devilish six-year-old, did not fill him with pride. 

He recognized that he was being ridiculous. But it didn’t make it any easier.

When Ronan arrived back at the apartment, the girls and their luggage in tow, all three chattering and excited, Adam had stepped back as they tumbled into the living room. He scooped up Chainsaw to make sure her tiny paws didn’t get trampled underfoot. Hennessy’s eyes widened, looking up at the kitten.

“Hi, Hen. Do you want to pet her?” Adam asked softly, kneeling down.

“GENTLY,” Ronan called over his shoulder as he hauled the bags into the guest room.

“Gently, gently, gently…” Hennessy whispered as she softly glided her fingertips across Chainsaw’s back. The kitten looked up at her and mewed, and Hennessy pulled her hand back startled.

Adam smiled, “It’s OK. She likes you. You’re doing good.”

Hennessy let out a breath and rubbed Chainsaw’s head, “Can she sleep with me tonight?”

“I don’t know, that’s up to her. She usually likes to sleep on your Uncle Ro’s head.”

Hennessy giggled, “Really?”

Adam nodded seriously, “Yep, I mean it’s such a big head…”

“I heard that,” Ronan muttered as he came out of the guest room. He came up behind Adam and wrapped his arms around his waist, “We’ll tuck Chainsaw in with you tonight, Hen, and see how it goes. Don’t be sad if she goes wandering – cats do that.”

Hennessy nodded seriously, accepting this piece of wisdom, “OK, I won’t get upset if she leaves.” She turned and trotted away, excited to explore her new space. Aurora had already slipped into the guest room, carefully and quietly unpacking her bag.

“You OK?” Ronan pressed his lips to Adam’s ear.

Adam took a strangled breath, “I’m fine. I’m good. Really good. I’m great.”

Ronan chuckled, his breath warm against Adam’s neck, “Thou doth protest too much, dipshit. Seriously, are you OK?”

Adam turned and rested his forehead against Ronan’s shoulder, letting out a sigh, “Yeah. Sorry. Just nervous.”

Ronan ran his thumb over his cheek, “They’re just kids. You’ll be fine.”

_They’re just kids._

Adam tried to center himself, holding tight to Ronan’s arms, “I don’t know what to do with kids… They seem so… fragile.”

Ronan huffed out a laugh, “They’re a lot tougher than they look, babe. Hen especially – she’s a fuckin’ ballbuster. Aurora is a little shy. She might take some time to warm up. But she’s like _you_ that way.”

Adam elbowed him in the side, “I’m not shy.”

Ronan nodded agreeably, “Oh yeah, you love people. Crowds. Parties. Can’t keep you out of the club.”

“Shut up. Ass,” Adam shoved Ronan, and Ronan laughed delightedly.

**

The first night with the girls had gone relatively smoothly. Hennessy had passed out early from the excitement of the day, mumbling something about “mama’s unicorns.” When Ronan had carried her to bed, Adam had tried to make conversation with Aurora, asking her about school and her friends, but it seemed like each question elicited a shorter answer than the last. 

She sat on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest. Adam recognized that position – he’d spent his own childhood trying to make himself as small as possible so he wouldn’t be noticed. It tugged at his heart to see her like that. He knew that her life was completely different than his had been at that age. She had loving parents who would never raise a hand to her. Her little sister idolized her and followed her wherever she went. She attended a small Quaker school where she was encouraged and cared for. 

He knew she was the quieter of the two girls, and he tried not to take it personally when she couldn’t meet his eyes. He’d been shy too. He remembered what it felt like. He cast about in his mind for a topic that might make her open up a little bit, and his eyes caught on the tote bag Declan had given Ronan at the airport. It was filled with toys and board games and comfort items. He saw a thick, dog-eared paperback with a familiar cover poking out the top.

“Are you reading _The Sorcerer’s Stone_?” Adam asked.

Aurora nodded shyly, not looking up.

“Um… do you like it?” Adam continued.

Another nod.

Adam searched his mind and landed on something that would surely get a rise out of her.

“You know, I think if your Uncle Ro went to Hogwarts he’d be a Slytherin.”

Aurora’s head jerked up, her eyes wide. “NO HE WOULDN’T!”

Adam arched an eyebrow at her, “No? Which House do you think he’d be in?”

“He’d _definitely_ be in Gryffindor! He’s brave! I saw him pick up a _mouse_ once when we were staying at The Barns. It was a baby but Hen and I were really scared. And then he let us listen to its heartbeat!” the words poured out of Aurora as she became animated and shifted toward Adam on the couch. 

“And we were at the store and there was a lady in front of us, and she didn’t have enough money for everything, and the cashier said she had to put something back, and she sounded mean about it, and Uncle Ro gave the cashier some money and told her to not be mean to people!”

Adam smiled, “That sounds like your uncle. You know, I think you’re right – Gryffindor for sure.”

Aurora gave him a bright smile, “Yeah, and my friends think I’m Ravenclaw cause I do really well at school, but I think maybe I’m secretly Gryffindor…. I mean… I want to be…”

“You are _absolutely_ a Gryffindor. I can tell,” Adam nodded his head with certainty.

“What are you?”

“Well, I think sometimes I might be Ravenclaw, and sometimes…” he scrunched up his face, “…well, sometimes I think I might be Slytherin if I’m being honest…”

Aurora reached out and patted his hand, “It’s OK. Some of my best friends are Slytherin.”


	2. Evil Unicorn Blankets

Ronan woke early so that he could fit in a shower before Adam went to work. He didn’t want to leave the girls without any supervision even for that short amount of time. Then he’d made them all pancakes and they’d sat in the kitchen planning out their day. He sent Adam off with a kiss and a slap on the ass. Hen had crowed with laughter at that, and Aurora had giggled into her orange juice.

They’d spent the morning wandering in town. He took them to the toy store where they picked out a jigsaw puzzle to work on together, and then to the bookstore where Hennessy picked out a new coloring book, and Aurora gazed longingly at a thick, leather-bound dictionary.

“Really? You want a dictionary?” Ronan asked, confounded.

Aurora looked up at him with dreamy eyes, “It has all the words. _All of them,_ Uncle Ro! Can you even imagine…?”

He ruffled her hair, “How am I related to such a nerd?”

“I’m not a nerd!” she exclaimed, affronted, “I’m an _intellectual_. Daddy said so.”

Ronan bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to laugh. He picked up the dictionary, adding it to the coloring book and the cookbook he’d been looking for, “Well, if _Daddy_ said so. Come on, Hermione, let’s get out of here.”

**

That afternoon after Ronan had cleared away their lunch dishes, Hennessy grabbed his hand and led him to the couch. She plopped her ipad in his lap, and commanded, “Doggie shows!” staring up at him expectantly. Ronan arched an eyebrow at her, “You’re gonna need to be more specific, monster.”

“DOGGIE SHOWS ON YOUTUBE!”

Ronan sighed, “Aurora, I need a Hen translation.”

Aurora looked up from the floor where she’d been working on their puzzle, “She watches dogs running agility course on YouTube.”

“That’s a thing?”

“Uh-huh,” Aurora confirmed placidly, turning her attention back to the puzzle.

Ronan did a quick search, “Who knew. Here you go, Hen.” He handed the ipad back to the six-year-old and moved to stand up, but she climbed into his lap before he could lift himself off the couch. He sighed, “So we’re watching these together, huh?”

“Yep!” Hen crowed and pressed play. A small white dog raced across the screen, jumping over hurdles and shimmying through tubes. “GO GO GO GO GO DOGGIE GOOOOOO!”

Ronan grinned and settled back against the couch. There were worse ways to spend an afternoon.

**

When Adam walked through the door the apartment was suspiciously quiet. He’d left work early so he could give Ronan a break from watching the girls, assuming that he must be exhausted by this point in the day. He dropped his bag, toed off his shoes, and walked to the bedroom to change out of his suit. The doors to the backyard were open, so he poked his head out.

Some sort of tiny obstacle course had been set up, consisting of stacked books, pillows, and the inner cardboard tubes of wrapping paper rolls. It ended with a ribbon stretched between two kitchen stools – what Adam guessed must be the finish line. A tiny bowl of cat treats sat on the far side of it.

Ronan, Aurora and Hennessy were all crouched on the ground making soft, encouraging sounds at Chainsaw as the kitten toddled around a stack of books.

“No, not _around_ the books, OVER the books,” Ronan groaned.

Hennessy giggled, jumping up and down, “She’s cheating! She’s cheating!”

Aurora sighed, ever the longsuffering older sister, “It’s not cheating if she doesn’t understand the rules, Hen.”

Ronan nodded, “True.”

Adam cleared his throat from the doorway and they all looked up. “ _Ignorantia juris non excusat_.”

Ronan rolled his eyes as he stood and crossed the lawn, “Oh good, the lawyer is weighing in on the kitten’s culpability.”

Hennessy raced ahead of him and reached Adam first, throwing her arms around his legs, “ADAM!” She looked up at him with wide blue eyes, “What does ignowa… ignowa… what does that mean what you just said?”

Adam bent down and awkwardly patted her head, “It means that not knowing the rules doesn’t mean it’s OK to break them.” 

Ronan kissed his cheek, and scooped Hennessy up while she pondered this new philosophy with eyebrows furrowed.

“So what’s happening out here?” Adam asked, watching as Aurora placed Chainsaw at one end of the cardboard tube and nudged her gently towards it.

Ronan smiled, “We spent a couple hours watching dogs run agility courses, and then we all agreed that Chainsaw is way smarter than any of those mutts,” Hennessy giggled and nodded furiously. Ronan looked over at the little black kitten who was now gnawing on the end of the cardboard tube, “She’s still getting the hang of it…”

Adam grinned, “Looks like she’ll be ready for the next Olympics.”

Ronan wrapped his free arm around Adam’s waist and squeezed, “Are you kidding? With her skills we’re taking her professional immediately. Think of the endorsement deals.”

Adam sighed, “I remember when it was just about the love of the sport for you.”

“Go get changed, Parrish. I think our athlete has one more run in her, and then the pizza should be here.”

Both girls erupted into screams of “Pizza!!” and the sudden noise caused Chainsaw to bolt under a bush.

“…or maybe she’s done,” Ronan shrugged and set Hennessy down. He knelt on the ground and made coaxing sounds until Chainsaw crept out warily. He scooped her up, “You’ve been a good sport today, kiddo. You get extra treats.”

He looked over at the girls, “Monsters! Go wash your claws.” As they ran into the house he yelled after them, “With soap this time!”

Adam wrapped his arms around Ronan from behind, and rested his forehead against his shoulder, “You’re really good at this.”

“Cat obstacle courses? Thank you, I’ll put it on my resume.”

Adam nuzzled into Ronan’s neck and Ronan leaned into it, “Yeah, that. But I meant _kids_. You’re good at kids.”

Ronan shrugged his shoulders and let out a huff, “It’s not hard, Parrish. You keep ‘em safe and let ‘em have fun. They’re just people who can’t take care of themselves yet.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, “It’s like hanging out with Noah.”

Adam laughed, “I’m telling him you said that.”

Ronan scoffed, “Go ahead. I’m not wrong.”

Adam hummed in agreement, and stroked the purring kitten’s head, “Come on, let’s give Chainsaw a break - she’s getting overstimulated by the girls. Put her in the laundry basket in the closet - she’ll fall right asleep.”

Ronan turned and kissed Adam softly, “See, you’re an excellent parent, Parrish.”

**

They ate the pizza on an old blanket spread out on the grass. Ronan had suggested a picnic and the girls had enthusiastically agreed. As they knocked cups of juice into the grass, and dropped pepperoni on the blanket, Adam realized just what a brilliant idea it had been. A week of picnics might be in the cards just to cut down on the cleanup.

He drew the line when Ronan brought out the hose, though.

“You are not hosing them down!” he exclaimed, appalled.

The girls giggled maniacally as Ronan waved the hose at them. Aurora started the chant, and Hennessy quickly joined in “Hose. Us. Down. Hose! Us! Down! HOSEUSDOWN!”

Adam rolled his eyes, grinning, “Y’all are crazy…”

Ronan returned his grin, “They’re Lynches! It's in their genes!”

He turned on a gentle spray and the girls ran back and forth through it squealing until they were soaked, but also free of pizza grease.

“I’ll get towels,” Adam sighed and jogged through the doors into the bedroom. 

**

The week flew by in a blur of sticky hands and tangled hair and laughter (with a few meltdowns thrown in, mostly by the six-year-old, but Ronan had been on the verge once or twice). He gave piggyback rides and held serious discussions with stuffed animals. He tucked them into bed together, and soothed Hennessy when she woke from a nightmare about the “evil unicorn blankets.”

_Not evil, Hen – MEDIEVAL. They’re not out to get you – they’re just really old._

But his favorite part of the week had been watching Adam grow more and more comfortable with the kids. He’d admitted to being nervous at the beginning of the week, which Ronan had correctly translated as, “I’m fucking terrified that I’m going to be bad at this.” And at first, he’d held himself apart, not enough for the girls to notice, but Ronan saw the hesitancy. He saw the way he avoided touching them. How he spoke haltingly and softly to them, worried he would scare them. But the girls had broken through Adam's walls easily; climbing into his lap, pulling him from room to room to show him things, and at one point, feeding him baby carrots during a game of “Pony.”

Ronan saw a nurturing side of Adam that he’d known was there, but had never been given the opportunity to come out. A side of him that Adam himself didn’t believe existed.

This week had been good for him. Ronan would make sure Declan and Jordan knew that they could drop the kids off with them whenever they wanted in the future. 

As he watched Adam ruthlessly beating the two girls at Candyland (to their great delight) he pondered what other kids they could borrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter coming tomorrow! Hope you're enjoying it! :)


	3. Two Point Oh

When Adam arrived home on Friday, it was already dark. Music was coming from the kitchen. He was loosening his tie as he pushed open the door gently, careful not to bowl over any tiny bodies.

Ronan was at the stove stirring something in a large pot. Hennessy was seated at the island, swaying happily to the song. Aurora was very carefully buttering slices of bread on a baking sheet.

“Hi guys. What are we listening to?”

Aurora looked up and smiled, “Taylor Swift!”

Adam nodded, “Ah, so Uncle Ro got to choose the music. That’s very nice of you guys to let him do that.” He wrapped his arms around Ronan’s waist and kissed his cheek, “Hello, you.”

Ronan turned his head, giving him a proper kiss, “Hello back. And don’t badmouth Taylor, she’s been through a lot.”

Aurora carried the baking sheet of bread over and set it on the counter next to Ronan, “How’s that?”

“Perfect!” Ronan said, “Now I’m gonna put a little garlic powder on the pieces, and then we bake them until they’re brown on the edges.”

“Garlic bread is easy!” Aurora exclaimed, “I’m gonna make this for Mama and Daddy when they get home.”

Ronan looked down at the beaming girl and grinned, “You’re a natural, kid.” He called over his shoulder to the younger girl, “Hey Hen, tell Adam Aurora’s new nickname. I’m Ro, and she’s…”

Hennessy giggled delightedly, “Ro 2.0!” but since she found “R” sounds challenging, it came out sounding more like, “WOAH TWO POINT OH!”

Aurora rolled her eyes, but Adam could see her blushing with pride.

Hennessy continued, cracking herself up, “Because she’s Au-WOAH-wa, Uncle Adam! Get it?!”

Adam scooped her up, “I get it! Did you come up with that?”

“Nooooo, Uncle Ro did when he made her his Susie Chef.”

“ _Sous_ chef, Hen.”

Hennessy nodded sagely, “Yeah, that.”

Adam bit his lip to keep from laughing, “So, what have you three cooked up for dinner?”

“Tell him, Two-Point-Oh,” Ronan called from the sink.

Aurora looked up at Adam proudly, “Mac and cheese, and salad, and garlic bread.”

“That’s my favorite,” Adam whispered conspiratorially to her.

“Me too,” she whispered back.

“ME THREE!” Hennessy bellowed, throwing her head back.

“OK, we’re almost ready here,” Ronan started grabbing plates out of the cabinet. “If you are under four feet tall, wash your hands.”

“I don’t have to wash my hands?” Adam asked quizzically.

“If you’re over four feet tall, I shouldn’t have to _tell_ you to wash your hands,“ Ronan turned and dropped a quick kiss on his lips, and continued more softly “You can go get changed. I’ve got things covered.”

Adam nodded gratefully, stealing another kiss, and escaped to the bedroom to get out of his suit. As he hung his jacket in their closet, he let himself think about what it would be like to come home to this everyday. To a warm, chaotic kitchen, and children’s laughter, and his beautiful husband. 

He hadn’t expected to have so much fun with the girls that week. He hadn’t really known _what_ to expect. Granted, Ronan was doing the lion’s share of the childcare – keeping them fed, and bathed, and entertained. When Aurora started to miss her parents, and got teary at the idea of how far away they were, he was the one who sat with his arm around her and looked at the silly pictures Declan and Jordan had been texting from Paris. When Hennessy got overly wound up until she collapsed in an exhausted tantrum, Ronan was the one who sat quietly with her, rubbing her back until she calmed down and passed out in a tear-stained heap on top of him. Adam didn’t think he’d be able to manage them on his own the way that Ronan did – he seemed to have all the right instincts when it came to the girls. He somehow knew when to set boundaries, and when to let them get rowdy. And the girls so clearly adored him. Adam’s heart ached in his chest watching Ronan kiss them goodnight, they’re tiny hands wrapped tight around his neck.

The tears took him by surprise. He searched himself trying to understand what he was feeling… there was love, there was gratitude, there was still maybe a little bit of fear, but the overwhelming sensation was a strange, frustrated confusion. Even after all this time, he still couldn’t completely believe that this was a life that could be his. It was so far from where he’d been. It gnawed at him that he couldn’t identify the exact mechanisms and steps that had taken him from that trailer, where not having any human touch for days on end had been a _good_ week, to this home and this man and their life together.

And if he didn’t understand how it had happened, how could he know how to _keep_ it?

It all felt so out of his control. 

He was wiping his eyes when Ronan stuck his head through the doorway.

“It’s too dark for a picnic so I’ve got ‘em set up in the kitchen…” Ronan stopped, noticing Adam’s red-rimmed eyes. He crossed the room and sat next to him on the bed. “Hey, what is it…?” he asked softly.

Adam leaned against him, and let out an embarrassed laugh, “It’s nothing. I’m being stupid. Let’s eat.”

He started to rise from the bed but Ronan put his hand on his knee, stopping him, “The girls have already started motoring through an entire loaf of garlic bread – we’ve got time. Tell me.”

Adam let out a shaky breath, “Just… I think I’m having one of those moments where you step outside of yourself, and you don’t understand how you got where you are…”

Adam felt Ronan stiffen beside him, “…because you don’t want to be where you are?”

Adam’s head shot up and he looked at Ronan in shock, “What? No!”

“I know this week has been kind of chaotic… and loud… with the girls here,” Ronan continued his eyes on the floor, “I get it if you’re rethinking the whole kid thing.”

“Ronan! No! I’ve _loved_ having them here. I’m not rethinking anything.”

Ronan let out a relieved breath, “Thank fucking god. So what is it?”

Adam took Ronan’s hand and squeezed, “I’m realizing that I told myself I didn’t want a family because I didn’t know _how_ to have one. And if I told myself I didn’t _want_ it then I wouldn’t feel disappointed when I inevitably ended up alone. But now I want it. _So much_.”

“Baby…” Ronan whispered and pulled Adam into his arms. 

Adam sighed and let himself relax against Ronan’s warm body, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ronan murmured into the top of Adam’s head, “And you’re not going to end up alone, because you’re never getting rid of me. Even if I die first, I’ll haunt your ass.”

Adam smiled and pulled back so he could rest his forehead against Ronan’s, “Good.“

“Haunting you could be fun… I could watch you in the shower, and move your shit around without you realizing, and make weird noises in the middle of the night…”

“You do all of those things now.“

Ronan shoved him away, laughing, “I don’t make weird noises.”

Adam raised an eyebrow, “I’m going to record you snoring. You’re in denial.”

Ronan took Adam’s hand and started dragging him toward the kitchen, “Monsters! Uncle Adam is telling lies again – who wants to count while he’s in a timeout?”

**

The last night before their parents returned, Ronan and Adam took the girls to the bar for dinner. Blue and Gansey and Henry joined them. Noah was working in the kitchen that night, and made sure to send their burgers out with ketchup smiley faces. He’d somehow even managed to construct a replica of Chainsaw out of tator tots. The girls ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ when he placed it before them with a flourish and a loud _meow_. Ronan just rolled his eyes.

Henry leaned across the table to get the girls’ attention, “OK, ladies, tell me the truth. Who is your favorite uncle? Really.”

In unison they yelled, “Uncle Matty!”

Ronan’s jaw dropped, “What??” He grasped his chest in mock pain, “Traitors! Try again.”

The girls shared a devious look, “Uncle Adam!”

Ronan threw his hands in the air in defeat. The others were laughing hysterically.

“You set that up!” he pointed accusingly at Henry.

Henry shrugged and took a sip of his drink, “Out of the mouths of babes, Lynch.”

Adam rubbed his husband’s back comfortingly, “It’s not your fault. I’m just a natural caregiver.”

Ronan leaned against him, “Yep, I never had a chance.”

**

That night Ronan was awakened to the sound of soft voices coming from the living room. The other side of the bed was empty. He padded to the door and looked out.

Adam was sitting in one of the armchairs facing the fire, and Aurora was wrapped in a blanket sitting in the other. They had their feet up on the shared ottoman and were talking quietly. He could just barely make out their words.

“I just wish I could make her feel better, you know? She’s new at school, and she seems really shy, and I asked her to come sit with me and my friends at lunch, but she said she was OK sitting by herself.”

“Maybe’s she’s nervous about meeting a bunch of new people at once,” Adam suggested. “Could you offer to sit with her – just you - without your other friends, so she doesn’t feel intimidated?”

Aurora contemplated the idea and nodded, “Yeah, I’ll try that.”

“I think it’s really nice that you want to make this new girl feel welcome. It’s very Gryffindor of you,” Adam smiled.

Aurora blushed and yawned, “Thanks… I think I can sleep now.”

Adam nodded, “OK. If you ever want to talk, you know you can call me, right?”

Aurora nodded, “Yeah, thanks, Uncle Adam.” She climbed down from the chair and shuffled towards the guest room. Ronan stepped back so she wouldn’t see that he’d been snooping. Once her door had shut softly, he walked to the living room and dropped into the chair across from Adam.

“Having a little heart-to-heart at midnight, huh?” he asked softly.

Adam shrugged, “Apparently she’s been worrying about this new girl at school. Aurora wants to be her friend, but the girl is pretty shy, and she’s not sure how to help her. I just told her what I would want if I was in her shoes. No big deal.”

Ronan rose from his chair and settled himself in Adam’s lap, “VERY big deal, Parrish. You listened to her, and you took her seriously, and you gave her good advice. You’re much better at this whole thing than you give yourself credit for.”

“I’ve had a really good teacher,” Adam smiled up at Ronan. 

Ronan kissed him and ran his hands up his chest, “Come on, let’s go to bed. Tomorrow night we’re child-free again, and I’m gonna need you well-rested.”

Adam grinned, “Same.”

Ronan took his hand and led him back to the bedroom, “And if I find out you’ve recorded my snoring, I’m telling Declan you let them eat candy at breakfast that one time.”

“THAT WAS YOU,” Adam argued.

“Shhhh, don’t wake the kids, sweetheart,” Ronan kissed Adam softly and closed the bedroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written kids before, and it was way more fun than I expected! It's kind of like writing drunk adults. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> The next piece I have planned in this series is gonna be a little tricky for me to write I think... and may involve a bit of a time jump. But this little bird is plotting ::rubs tips of wings together like a fluffy little villain::
> 
> Stay safe!


End file.
